Sony unveils four lenses for A and E mounts

Sony has announced four lenses, one Alpha mount and three E mount for its NEX system. The first is the DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM (SAL1650), a dust- and water-resistant fast standard zoom with a range equivalent to 24-75mm on full frame. NEX users get a premium fast prime, the Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA (SEL24F18Z), plus the E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS telephoto zoom (SEL55210), and last but not least the E 50mm F1.8 OSS (SEL50F18) - the fastest optically-stabilized lens available for interchangeable-lens cameras. Scroll down for more details on availability and specifications.

In the absence of a press release, our Technical Editor, Andy Westlake, puts the lenses in context:

The DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM is ideal for shooting landscapes as well as portraits.

With its fast maximum aperture and useful 24-75mm-equivalent zoom range, the DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM becomes the premium standard zoom for Sony Alpha users. It features dust- and moisture-resistant construction, and promises fast autofocus with its in-built SSM focus motor. It's clearly designed to be the ideal companion to the SLT-A77, but we can easily envisage Alpha 700 owners falling over themselves to get hold of it too.

The Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA is a premium fast prime that seems destined to be a favorite with NEX-7 buyers, with its classic moderate wideangle view equivalent to a 35mm lens on full frame. And while it’s not a particularly small lens (it’s slightly larger and heavier than the 18-55mm kit zoom), and far from cheap, the Zeiss branding suggests the image quality should be excellent.

The E 50mm F1.8 OSS is the fastest optically stabilized prime lens on any interchangable-lens system.

The E 50mm F1.8 OSS has the distinction of being the fastest optically-stabilized lens available for interchangeable lens cameras, either mirrorless or SLR. Don’t be fooled by the apparently innocuous headline specification – this isn’t a revamped SLR lens, but an all-new design in every way. Given this, we’re not quite sure why Sony has opted for the 50mm focal length – we’d have thought a slightly longer lens in the classic ‘portrait’ range (60-85mm on APS-C) would be more useful. Then again 50mm primes have sold pretty well for use on APS-C SLRs, so we could be wrong.

The E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS is the first telephoto lens available for the E-mount system.

The E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 is the obligatory telephoto zoom for the NEX system that we’d have expected to see much earlier (even Sony describes it as ‘long-awaited’). Potential owners may be perturbed by the relatively slow maximum aperture, but it’s worth bearing in mind that the contrast detect AF system used by the NEXs don’t have the same aperture constraints as SLR phase detect systems, and the excellent high ISO performance of Sony’s recent sensors should go a long way to offsetting the 1/3 stop loss of light-gathering capability compared to similar lenses for SLR systems.

Sony press material:

Sony DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM

The growing range of compatible A-mount lenses for both cameras now includes the quiet, bright DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM standard zoom with 16mm wide angle coverage that's ideal for both portrait and everyday shooting.

The new E-mount Telephoto zoom E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS (SEL55210) will be available this October for about $350. The new Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA (SEL24F18Z) and the E 50mm F1.8 OSS (SEL50F18) will each be available this December for about $1000 and $300, respectively.

Since I purchased my NEX5, my digital SLR hasn't seen the light of day. The 55-210 will give me all the range I need for my photography (principally travel) and with the 16mm and 18-55mm, it is hard to imagine a serious need for another lens. The compactness of the system combined with the high quality photos I am able to capture is great. But the NEX7 with a viewfinder -- that may change things for me as I do prefer a viewfinder if only to not have to put on reading glasses to see a screen.

I just sold my Nikon D700 and now I am selling my 14-24mm and my 24-70mm. For me, this is clearly the way to go. I don't believe ANYONE will be making a DSLR in 3 years. Mirrors are mechanical dinosaurs and all but GONE!

If Nikon doesn't bring out something soon to compete with the 24 f/1.8, or Zeiss doesn't bring this out for Nikon DX, I'm probably getting this lens with the NEX7 as my new P&S, provided it has the performance I expect from Zeiss. I bet the combo winds up getting more use than my Nikon SLRs. NIKON - WAKE UP and fully support APS-C format, or Sony is going to take half your SLR market away from you.

Why so big ? The NEX7 looks so perfect, I just can't why Sony is unable to manufacture a fast prime lens that is not 3 times the size of my 20mm 1.7 from Panasonic. Please Sony, I want your NEX7, badly : make a really compact and high quality lens to match such a tiny body (considering the features of course) and you'll have my money. All my money !

Quality, fast lenses require volume. This lens weighs 8 oz - that's not a monster for APS-C format. This format is a lot bigger than M4/3. I'll take the quality and almost 2x sensor size, thanks. This isn't intended as your pocket pancake lens, and no pancake is going to have the quality this lens will have.

The reason the lenses are big is because the sensor is big, equivalent of a APS-C dSLR, the M4/3 sensors are smaller and can therefore support smaller lenses. If you want the corners black then you can have a small lens on your NEX!

In the case of the 50mm prime, I imagine it is longer than a "standard" 50mm prime because it has OSS built in.

Just a curious note on the wording "first telephoto lens available for the E-mount system' under the 55-210mm lens. Wouldn't the 18-200mm that has been available from the beginning also be a telephoto lens, though with a much bigger range on the wide end?

That line isn't supposed to imply that the E 55-210mm is for SLRs, it merely compares it to lenses for SLR systems that the NEXs inevitably compete against. But I take your point, and have modified the wording (although clearly you knew exactly what I meant).

I think copejorg1 is confusing the 1/3 stop you're referring to (between f6.3 at the 200mm end of this lens and f5.6 on most competing lenses) with the 1/3 EV reduction in light transmission on the SLT cameras. Hence the comment about the E prefix, as opposed to A mount.

The NEX is APS-C (crop) system, never announced to be a FF. And taking into account the popularity of MF 50 of all kinds with both m4/3 and NEX - the 50/1.8 is a very good choice. It's definitely a welcome candidate to replace my MINOLTA MD w/ adapter combo - if the IQ is comparable (and I believe it would be...)

If the 50/1.8 is a portrait lens for an entirely new system, what's with the 75mm fov equiv? A 60-85mm/1.8 would of made more sense (90mm-127.5mm fov equiv). This lens has the problems of every other 50mm on an APS-C sensor: too short for portraits. You'd think Sony would take this into consideration with a new lens for a whole new mount. Plus this lens won't be FF compatible, so what's the point? So much for their motto "like no other".

Traditionally the perspective of a 70-90mm lens on a FF 35 was considered the most flattering for a portrait. Wider angles start to look distorted and 135mm and up compressing the view too much! That is why 75 is really a good portrait lens.